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How Do I Get Paths and URL fragments from the HttpRequest object?

By steve on January 09, 2007.
Updated on January 22, 2012.
Viewed 89,192 times (50 times today).

Article Types	Languages	Technologies	Topics
Snippet	C#	ASP.NET	Web

Summary

If you have done much ASP.NET programming you have probably spent a lot of time mapping urls to physical disk locations and vice versa. This need arises whenever you store files on the server or do some kind of URL parsing and re-routing of incoming requests.

This article will examine the properties of the Request object that will provide path and url information related to the application and the current request.

First, here are a couple of tables of useful properties on the Request object and an example of the text they return for a given input URL.

For some reason unclear to me, the Url.Fragment property is usually empty instead of showing "#fragment".

Input: http://localhost:96/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx?q=item#fragment

Some HttpRequest path and URL properties:
Request.ApplicationPath:	/Cambia3
Request.CurrentExecutionFilePath:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx
Request.FilePath:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx
Request.Path:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx
Request.PathInfo:
Request.PhysicalApplicationPath:	D:\Inetpub\wwwroot\CambiaWeb\Cambia3\
Request.RawUrl:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx?query=arg
Request.Url.AbsolutePath:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx
Request.Url.AbsoluteUri:	http://localhost:96/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx?query=arg
Request.Url.Fragment:
Request.Url.Host:	localhost
Request.Url.Authority:	localhost:96
Request.Url.LocalPath:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx
Request.Url.PathAndQuery:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx?query=arg
Request.Url.Port:	96
Request.Url.Query:	?query=arg
Request.Url.Scheme:	http
Request.Url.Segments:	/ Cambia3/ Temp/ Test.aspx

Input: http://localhost:96/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx/path/info?q=item#fragment

Some HttpRequest path and URL properties:
Request.ApplicationPath:	/Cambia3
Request.CurrentExecutionFilePath:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx
Request.FilePath:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx
Request.Path:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx/path/info
Request.PathInfo:	/path/info
Request.PhysicalApplicationPath:	D:\Inetpub\wwwroot\CambiaWeb\Cambia3\
Request.RawUrl:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx/path/info?query=arg
Request.Url.AbsolutePath:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx/path/info
Request.Url.AbsoluteUri:	http://localhost:96/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx/path/info?query=arg
Request.Url.Fragment:
Request.Url.Host:	localhost
Request.Url.LocalPath:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx/path/info
Request.Url.PathAndQuery:	/Cambia3/Temp/Test.aspx/path/info?query=arg
Request.Url.Port:	96
Request.Url.Query:	?query=arg
Request.Url.Scheme:	http
Request.Url.Segments:	/ Cambia3/ Temp/ Test.aspx/ path/ info

The following is the C# method I used to process the URLs above and generate the output tables. You may use this method in a code-behind file for an aspx page with a Label control names lblOutput.

private void DisplayRequestObjectProperties()
{
   lblOutput.Text = "<table cellpadding=2 border=1>";

   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td colspan=2 align=center>";
   lblOutput.Text +=  "Some HttpRequest path and ULR properties:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // application path
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.ApplicationPath:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.ApplicationPath + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // current execution file path
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.CurrentExecutionFilePath:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.CurrentExecutionFilePath + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // file path
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.FilePath:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.FilePath + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // path
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Path:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Path + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // path info
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.PathInfo:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.PathInfo + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // physical application path
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.PhysicalApplicationPath:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.PhysicalApplicationPath + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // raw url
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.RawUrl:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.RawUrl + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // absolute path
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.AbsolutePath:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.AbsolutePath + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // absolute uri
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.AbsoluteUri:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.AbsoluteUri + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // fragment
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.Fragment:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.Fragment + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // host
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.Host:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.Host + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // authority
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.Authority:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.Authority + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // local path
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.LocalPath:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.LocalPath + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // path and query
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.PathAndQuery:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.PathAndQuery + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // port
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.Port:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.Port + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // query
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.Query:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.Query + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // scheme
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.Scheme:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + Request.Url.Scheme + "</b>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   // segments
   lblOutput.Text += "<tr><td>";
   lblOutput.Text += "Request.Url.Segments:";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td><td>";
   string[] segments = Request.Url.Segments;
   foreach (string s in segments)
      lblOutput.Text += "<b>" + s + "</b><br>";
   lblOutput.Text += "</td></tr>";

   lblOutput.Text += "</table>";
}

User Comments (11)

Posted 2007 Nov 06 04:24 AM.

Thanks, really useful reference.

Btw #fragments are intended for the client and are not sent on the querystring to the server, so why Microsoft has included it I do not know.

Oli

Replied 2010 Apr 09 16:56 PM by Anonymous.

Its because Request.Url inherits from System.Uri which by definition needs to include fragments

Posted 2008 Dec 04 17:01 PM.

I am a PHP person and I do a lot of algorithmic SEO type of things where I am used to $_SERVER[HTTP_HOST], $_SERVER[REQUEST_URI], $_SERVER[PATH_INFO], $_SERVER[PHP_SELF] etc... But I occasionally get some ASP.net clients every now and then and does not know these by heart. Thanks!

- Benj
http://www.benjarriola.com/

Benj Arriola

Posted 2009 Feb 10 14:12 PM.

In response to:
For some reason unclear to me, the Url.Fragment property is usually empty instead of showing "#fragment".

This is because most (if not all) web browsers don't send this information to the server. The "fragment" is for scrolling to a section of a web page (client-side).

Steve

Posted 2009 Aug 02 22:13 PM.

Just when I was getting confused and dispirited, up pops your lovely page. Thank you for the code, for the output, for putting this out here for those of us in need of help. Just wonderful.

Rick

Posted 2011 Jun 12 04:18 AM.

Request.QueryString != Request.RawUrl

Your post was misleading me... and losing 40 minuts of my time figuring out why I don't get the same result with Request.QueryString as you... Then I looked at your code and to my disapointment I found out you are really using Request.RawUrl.
Shame on you

dissapoint

Reply 2011 Jun 12 10:34 AM by steve.

You are correct. That appears to be a mistake which could clearly lead to confusion. I will get it corrected as soon as I can.

Reply 2011 Nov 01 18:51 PM by steve.

Took me a while, but I finally got this article updated. I basically had a "Query" label where I should have had "RawUrl". Hope that helps.

Posted 2011 Dec 28 22:08 PM.

can i get detail code for accepting the request on my side in java plz send code or link where i can get this code

vinay jatod

Posted 2012 Mar 20 02:50 AM.

You can parse a url by using regex , find the following example http://net-informations.com/csprj/communications/url-parsing.htm tomin

crowel

Reply 2012 Mar 27 20:00 PM by steve.

Or have a look at my article on parsing URLs here: http://www.cambiaresearch.com/articles/46/parsing-urls-with-regular-expressions-and-the-regex-object

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